Method of and apparatus for manu



July 7, 1942. 5 HlLAlRE Re. 22,128

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING PHONOGHAPHIG DISKS OriginalFiled Nov. 23, 1934 INVENTOR 5 n I 5 A a M N m T 5 m & Tm .R E B L AMReiaued July. 7, 1942 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANU- FAGI'URINGPHONOGRAPHIC DISKB Albert 8. St. llilalre, Creteil, France, assimrSoeiete des Vernis Pyroiao S. A. It. L., Gretel],

Orlglnnl No. 2,079,972, dated May 11, 1937, Serial No. 854,471, November23, 1934.

Application for rehsne December 30, 1938, Serial No. 248,649. In FranceNovember 28, 1933 12 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatusfor the manufacture of phonographic disks, and in a general way ofsupports of any kind whatever, either decorated or not and coated with alayer of a varnish of the nitro-ceilulose or aceto-eellulose kind, orwith other products.

According to the present invention, the disks of cardboard, strongpaper, or any other suitable matter, cut to the desired size, aredisposed on an endless band of paper or a conveyer band, in such manneras to pass under a hopper for the distribution of the coating product.These disks are then collected in any suitable manner and the band ofpaper or conveyer belt passes close to a scraping plate, whichrecuperates the excess of varnish, which drops into a suitable receiver,the band or belt moving further, either for being wound around a drum oflarge diameter, or for coming again under the feed hopper after havingbetween two driving rollers, in the case of an endless paper band.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the accurate positioning ofthe disks on the band orbeltisobtained,;lustbeforesaiddiskspass underthe feed hopper, by means of guiding members adjustable in with the sizeof the A preferred embodiment of the present invention will behereinafter described, with reference to the accompanying drawing, givenmerely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. l is a vertical elevational view of a machine according to thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view;

Fig.3isaverticalendviewofthefeed hopper of the machine:

Fig. 4 is a vertical elevational view corresponding to Fig. 3.

The frame a of the machine shown in the drawing supports, at its upperpart, a feed hopper b filled with varnish and the height of which withrespect to plate c can be adjusted as it will be hereinafter explained.A band of paper it moves with respect tosaid frame. This band of paperis, on the one hand. wound around a drum e of relatively small diameter,which serves to distribute the paper band, and, on the other hand, woundaround a drum I intended to receive the band of paper after the latterhas been used. This drum 1 is of relatively large diameter so as toavoid diiierences in the linear velocity of band dasitisbeingwoundaroundsaiddrumj. The movement of said drum t is impartedthereto through a pulley i concentric with drum 1, said pulley i beingitself driven by an electric motor through a speed reducing gear.

Band 11 passes, at 1.1 0' and a, around rollers or glass rods, so as toavoid, as far as possible, important frictional resistances.

0n the cross members a of frame a, there is pivotally mounted a scrapingplate 1 bearing against the band of paper :1, as shown by Fig. 1, thepivoting of plate i being controlled through a handle or lever in rigidwith said plate.

On plate c there are provided two guiding members l, the distancebetween which is adjustable, owing to the provision of screws,eventually micrometric screws, movable in their supports 1 These guidingmembers ensure the accurate positioning of the disks on band atimmediately before they come under feed hopper b, and as the conveyerband is of greater width than the disks to which the coating material isto be applied, the coating material from the hopper will be applied bothto the disks and to the conveyer band so that the disks are embedded inthe coating material on the band. Above the frame there is provided anysuitable device for distributing on the band the disks or plates to bevarnished, so as to permit an automatic working oi the machine. There isfurther provided a roller it intended to ensure the perfect adhesion ofthe disks to the band and therefore their perfect engagement under thehopper. The system of rollers e and f for the unwinding and the windingof the band of paper might be replaced by a similar system of rollers,but of equal dimensions for instance, band d being then an endless band.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, illustrated by Figs. 3 and4, the hopper b comprises two pletes m and m, which may be eitherinclined or not with respect to each other, so as to leave between thema gap or slot 1: at right angles to the direction of travel of the band.The width of said slot 1: is adjusted in accordance with the nature andviscosity of the coating product to be fed by said hopper, through saidslot, onto the disks or other supports above referred to. Thus, thebottom of the outlet of the hopper can be positioned above the conveyerband a distance equal to the thickness of the articles to be coated plusthe desired thickness of coating thereon so that as the disks passbeneath the hopper the outlet therefrom will act as a scraper or doctorblade to regulate the thickness of the coating applied to the articles.The hopper is provided at its upper part with two angle-irons o and &provided with holes adapted to accommodate threaded rods p and p whicharescrewedinplatecato andq'. Springerandr,concentricwithrodsp'andp,andinterposed between plate c of the frameand angle ironsaandsrigidlycarriedbythehoppenkeep said hopper at a welldetermined height above said plate 0, said height being adjustable bymeans of micrometrie screws 1 and 1' provided above angle irons and 0',which angle irons are therefore provided with marks adapted to cooperatewith said micrometric devices.

On the other hand there is provided a bridgeshaped member t carried bythe frame and on which is mounted a handle a adapted to control a cam oreccentric v cooperating with angle iron to rigid with the hopper.

It is therefore possible, y rating said handle a, to cause angle iron10, and therefore the feed hopper, to move downwardly so that it isapplied against the support and prevents the liquid present in thehopper from flowing out when the machine ceases to work.

As the band d passes around the roller a the disks which are embedded inthe coating material onthebandareremovedandassoonasthe coating materialthereon has dried, the record maybetracedinthedriedcoating material.Consequently the invention is concerned with the application of themethod of obtaining plates coated with varnish as above explained to themanufacture of phonographic disks, either by direct recording or throughthe action of a die, or through electro-plating means.

Of course the invention is not to be considered as limited to theembodiment above described, and for instance the structure of the feedhopper, the means for winding and unwinding band d, the means foroperating scraping band i. and alsotheshapeoftheframeandthemeans fordriving the paper band are not necessarily of the specific structureabove described.

Itisalsoobvimisthahaccordingtothetluckness of the layer of varnish withwhich the disk orplateis tobecoatedononefaceoronboth faces, I may varythe viscosity of the products contained in the feed hopper and theheight of thebottomofsaidhopper abovetheplates ordisks,andalsothespeedofunwindingofthe paper band, provided that itremains uniform for agivenseriesofplatesordisks.

While I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be apractical and emcient embodiment of the present invention, it shouldbewellunderstoodthatldonotwishtobelimitedtheretoastheremightbechangesmademthe arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departingfrom the principle of the present invention as comprehended within thescope of the appended claims.

what I claim is:

Lamachinefor applyingavarnishondisks ii: own plane along travel. a drumcarryingoneendofsaidbandofpaperwoundthereon, another drum of largerdiameter for the winding of the other end of the band of paper thereon,driving means for rotating said second mentioned drum about its axis, ahopper for said varnish carried by said frame above said bandprovldedwithaalotinitsbottmnextending parallelly to said plane in adirection at right anglestosaidpathoftravelsoastodistrihutesaldvarnishoversaidbandandthedisksthatarecarriedthereon, a plate pivotally mounted in said frame so as to be able to bebrought into or out of contact with the upper face of the portion of thehand of paper extending between said hopper and the second mentioneddrum, so that said plate can scrape the excess of varnish on said band,and means for controlling the position of said plate with respect tosaid band.

2. A machine for applying a varnish on disks which comprises, incombination, a frame, a conveyer band of paper movable in said frame andadapted to carry said disks, guiding means for said band of paper forcausing a portion thereof, carrying the disks, to slide in its own planealong a horizontal straight path of travel. a drum carrying one end ofsaid band of paper wound thereon, another drum of larger diameter forthe winding of the other end of the band of paper thereon, driving meansfor rotating said second mentioned drum about its axis, two memberscarried by said frame in an adjustable manner close above saidhorizontal portion of the band of paper, for accurately determining theposition of the disks thereon in a direction at right angles to saidpath of travel, a. hopper for said varnish carried by said frame abovesaid band behind said members, with reference to the direction of travelthereof, said hopper being provided with a slot in its bottom extendingparallelly to said plane in a direction at right angles to said path oftravel so as to distribute said varnish over said band and the disksthat are carried thereon, and means for scraping the upper face of saidconveyer band after its passage under said hopper.

3. A machine for applying a varnish on disks, which comprises, incombination, a frame, a conveyer band of paper movable on said frameadapted to carry said disks, guiding means for said band of paper forcausing a portion thereof, carrying the disks, to slide in its own planealong a horizontal straight path of travel, a drum carrying one end ofsaid band of paper wound thereon, another drum of larger diameter forwinding of the other end of said band of paper thereon, driving meansfor rotating said second mentioned drum, a hopper for said varnishcarried by said frame above said horizontal portion of the band, havingits bottom at a small distance above said portion of the band, saidbottom being provided with a slot-shaped aperture, parallel to saidplane and at right angles to said path of travel, for discharging saidvarnish in the form of a thin sheet onto said band and the disks carriedby it, and means for scraping said conveyer band after its passage undersaid hopper.

4. In apparatus for manufacturing phonographic disks, the improvement ina coating machine comprising a flat table, a feed hopper adiustablysupported above the top of the table, means for passing a disk-carryingband horizontally across the top of the table and under the hopper, andmeans associated with the hopper and the table for dropping the feedopening portion of the hopper onto the table to prevent the coatingliquid present in the hopper from flowing out when the machine ceases towork and in which the latter means comprise a bridge-shaped membercarried by the table, a lateral support attached to the side of thehopper. a shaft supported by the bridge near said lateral support, aneccentric cam mounted on the inner end of the shaft, and a handlemounted on the outer end of the shaft so that the cam may be moved insliding contact with said lateral support to drop the hopper onto thetable.

5. Apparatus for applying a coating to phonographic disks and the likecomprising a frame having a flat portion, a conveyor of greater widththan the articles to be coated for conveying articles to be coated overthe flat portion of the frame, means for advancing the conveyor oversaid flat portion of the frame. coating-materialsupply means positionedabove said conveyor having an outlet transverse to the direction ofmovement of the conveyor of greater width than the articles to becoated, so that the coating material from the outlet is applied both tothe articles and the conveyor, the bottom of the outlet being positionedabove the conveyor a distance equal to the thickness of the articles tobe coated plus the desired thickness of coating thereon, whereby theoutlet acts as a scraper or doctor blade to regulate the thickness ofthe coating applied to the articles as they are carried from beneath thebody of coating material.

6. Apparatus for applying a coating to phonographlc disks and the likecomprising a frame having a flat portion, a conveyor band of greaterwidth than the articles to be coated for conveying the articles to becoated over the flat portion of the frame, a drum having one end of saidband wound thereon, a second drum for the winding of the other end ofthe band thereon. driving means for rotating said second drum about itsaxis, coating-material-supply means positioned over the flat portion ofthe frame and above the conveyor band having an outlet transverse to thedirection of movement of the conveyor band of greater width than thearticles to be coated, so that the coating material from the outlet isapplied both to the articles and the conveyor band, the bottom of theoutlet being positioned above the conveyor band a distance equal to thethickness of the articles to becoated plus the desired thickness ofcoating thereon. whereby the outlet acts as a scraper or doctor blade toregulate the thickness of the coating applied to the articles as theyare carried from beneath the coating-material-supply means, a platepivotally mounted on the frame and adapted to be placed into or out ofcontact with the coating-material-receiving i ace of the portion of theband extending between said coating-material-supply means and the seconddrum, so that when in contact with the band it can scrape excess coatingmaterial therefrom, and means for controlling the position of the platewith respect to the band.

7. Apparatus for applying a coating to phonographic disks and the likecomprising a frame having a flat generally horizontal portion, aconveyor band of paper of greater width than the articles to be coatedfor conveying the articles to be coated, means for guiding the conveyorband and causing a portion thereof and articles carried thereby to moveover the flat portion of the frame, a drum having one end of said bandwound thereon, a second drum for the winding of the other end of theband thereon, driving means for rotating said second drum about itsaxis, a pair of members, one adjacent each side of the conveyor as itpasses over the flat portion of the frame for accurately determining theposition of articles on the conveyor transversely thereof. a hopper forcoating material positioned above the generally ilat portion of theframe and the conveyor band as it passes thereover, said hopper havingan outlet slot transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyorband oi 7s thickness of the articles to desired thickness of coatingthereon, whereby the edge of the slot acts as a scraper or doctor bladeto regulate the thickness of the coating applied to the articles as theyare carried from beneath the hopper. and means for scraping excesscoating material from the face of the conveyor band to which the coatingmaterial is applied after the band has passed from beneath the hopper.

8. Apparatus for applying a coating to phonographic disks and the likecomprising a frame having a flat portion, an imperforate conveyor bandof greater width than articles to be coated for conveying the articlesto be coated over the flat portion of the frame, means for advancing theconveyor band over said flat portion of the frame, a hopper for coatingmaterial adiustably supported above the flat portion of the frame. saidhopper havin an outlet transverse to the direction of movement of theconveyor band of greater width than the articles to be coated, so thatthe coating material from the outlet is applied both to the articles andthe conveyor band, the bottom of the outlet being positioned above theconveyor band a distance equal to the thickness of the articles to becoated plus the desired thickness of coating thereon, whereby the outletacts as a scraper or doctor blade to regulate the thickness of thecoating applied to the articles as they are carried from beneath thehopper, means associated with the hopper and the frame for obtaining anaccurate adjustment of the gap between the bottom of the feed hopper andthe list portion of the frame, means for removing coating material fromthe band after the coated articles have been taken therefrom, and meansassociated with the hopper and the frame for dropping the hopper ontothe frame to prevent the coating material in the hopper from flowingthrough said outlet when the apparatus is not operating.

9. Apparatus for applying a coating to phonographic disks and the likecomprising a frame having a generally horizontal flat portion, aconveyor of greater width than the articles to be coated for conveyingthe articles to be coated over the flat portion of the frame, means foradvancing the conveyor over said flat portion of the frame, a hopper forcoating material positioned above said conveyor having an outlettransverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor of greater widththan the articles to be coated, so that the coating material from theoutlet is applied both to the articles and the conveyor, the bottom ofthe outlet being positioned above the conveyor a distance equal to thethickness of the articles to be coated plus the desired thickness ofcoating thereon, whereby the outlet acts as a scraper or doctor blade toregulate the thickness of the coating applied to the articles as theyare carried from beneath the hopper, means associated with the hopperand frame for obtaining an accurate adjustment of the gap between thebottom of the hopper and the conveyor as it passes over the flat portionof the frame, and means associated with the hopper and frame fordropping the portion of the hopper having the outlet onto the table toprevent coating material in the hopper from flowing through the outletwhen the apparatus is not operating.

10. Apparatus for applying a coating to phonographic disks and the likecomprising a frame having a generally horizontal flat portion, aconveyor band of greater width than the articles to be coated forconveying articles to be coated over the fiat portion of the frame,means for advancing the conveyor band over said flat portion of theframe, a hopper for coating material positioned above said conveyor bandand having an outlet transverse to the direction of movement of theconveyor band of greater width than the articles to be coated so thatthe coating material from the outlet is applied both to the articles andthe conveyor, the bottom of the outlet being positioned above theconveyor band a distance equal to the thickness of the articles to becoated plus the desired thickness of coating thereon, whereby the outletacts as a scraper or doctor blade to regulate the thickness of thecoating ap plied to the articles as they are carried from beneath thehopper, and means associated with the hopper and the frame for droppingthe outlet portion of the hopper onto the flat portion of the frame toprevent coating material in the hopper from flowing out when theapparatus is not operating.

11. Apparatus for applying a coating to phonographic disks and the likecomprising a frame having a flat portion, a conveyor of greater widththan the articles to be coated for conveying articles to be coated overthe flat portion of the frame, means for advancing the conveyor oversaid flat portion of the frame, a coating-material-supply hopperpositioned above said conveyor having an outlet transverse to thedirection of movement 01' the conveyor 01 greater width than thearticles to be coated, so that the coating material from the outlet isapplied both to the articles and the conveyor, and means associated withthe hopper and the frame for dropping the hopper onto the frame toprevent the coating material in the. hopper from flowing through saidoutlet when the apparatus is not operating.

12. The method of applying coatings to phonegraphlc disks and the like,which comprises maintaining a body or hardenable, relatively viscous,liquid coating material above a support, conveying the articles to becoated across the support and beneath and in contact with the bottom ofthe coating material, the body of coating material with which thearticles contact being substantially wide in the direction or travel 0!the articles, and wider normal to the direction of travel of thearticles than the articles, so that a portion or the coating materialwill be applied to the articles and beyond the sides of the articles,restraining movement of the body of coating material, in the directionof travel 01' the articles, above the desired thickness of coating. asthe articles pass from beneath said body .oi material to therebyregulate the thickness 01' coating applied to the articles, andseparating the articles from the material applied beyond the sidesthereof.

ALBERT B. ST. HILAIRE.

